Recipe

I
n this video, Chinese cooking authority Chef Shirley Cheng of the renowned Culinary Institute of America shows us how to make Ma-Po Tofu (also sometimes translated "Mapo doufu"), a specialty of the Sichuan province, which is known for its spicy foods. The dish is said to have been created by and named after a street vendora "pock-faced old woman." Another possible explanation for the name of the dish is that "ma" also means "numb," and Sichuan peppercorns (the berry of a prickly ash tree) have a numbing effect on the tongue. In addition to tofu and those famous peppercorns, the dish contains Sichuan chile powder, black-bean paste, and hot bean pasterather than a one-dimensional burn, the resulting stew-like dish has layers of heat and flavor, which Cheng likens to an orchestra. She recommends serving it with steamed white rice and beer.